For ten years I lived in an ordinary nine-storey panel block on the outskirts of a city of a million people. Standard economy class — the kind that is supposed to deteriorate into a ghetto over time.
My stairwell and courtyard looked different.
It was not because of a law degree. It was simply because I refused to be indifferent.
Resources go to whoever asks
One management company served four entire neighbourhoods. But things were always best kept in my stairwell — because in the other buildings people paid their service charges and stayed quiet, while here there was oversight.
Every week I submitted service requests and followed up until they were closed. After my calls, the stairwell was cleaned again properly. Every two to three years they repainted the walls. The windows were washed, the entrance canopy cleared twice a year. Benches and the playground were painted each season, snow was cleared on time, lawns trimmed. When trees did not survive winter, I demanded replacements.
I did nothing extraordinary: I logged the request number and filed a complaint if deadlines were missed. They grumbled, despised me, probably cursed me on the phone — but they did their work.
Three reasons to demand quality from your building management company
Three reasons I articulated honestly to myself.
This is my money. The service charge receipt is payment for specific services, not a charitable donation.
This is my asset. The flat does not end at my front door. Its value depends on the state of the lift, the stairwell, and the courtyard.
This is my comfort. “What do you expect for the price?” is a trap. Even economy-class housing can and should be maintained properly.
Plus 30% on the sale price
When the time came to sell, the identical flat next door was sitting on the market. I had no expensive renovation — but I had a clean stairwell, a tidy courtyard, and a working lift.
The buyers chose mine. The flat sold for 30% above the equivalent market price.
Doing nothing is also a choice. While you stay silent, the system’s resources flow to whoever makes demands. That applies to building management, to officials, and to courts — the same mechanic runs through all of them.